


Piercings and Tattoos

by Hazzaandloubearforever



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anger, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Punk!Louis, Rebellion, Smut, innocent!harry, management being a dick, matching tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 03:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1712855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazzaandloubearforever/pseuds/Hazzaandloubearforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tattoos are addicting; probably more so than an addiction to meth or cocaine. Something about ink etched into skin and creating a permanent masterpiece can get someone's adrenaline pumping. That was Louis' prerogative. In the beginning, the Doncaster boy knew what he wanted tattoos but unfortunately he had to wait until he was old enough before he took that plunge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Out of all my stories I've ever written, I think this is definitely my favorite one! Punk Louis and Innocent Harry are my favorite collabs! 
> 
> In Chapter 4, the song used in this is A Thousand Years Part 2 by Christina Perri and Steve Kazee! 
> 
> I don't know how to post links so if any of you know how to post links in stories, please help me!

Tattoos are addicting; probably more so than an addiction to meth or cocaine. Something about ink etched into skin and creating a permanent masterpiece can get someone's adrenaline pumping. That was Louis' prerogative. In the beginning, the Doncaster boy knew what he wanted tattoos but unfortunately he had to wait until he was old enough before he took that plunge. 

When that day finally came, the boy was more than thrilled when he came home with his first tattoo, the underside of his arm swollen and red from the ink.

A specific curly haired boy by the name of Harry Styles was the reason behind all his tattoo madness. It had started during the X-Factor when the two teenagers accidentally ran into each other, Harry muttering out a quiet "oops!" and Louis chuckling out a sheepish "hi." The blue eyed boy never would have thought that one word would sky rocket him into another world where the kid couldn't live without having something inked on his skin. 

Typically, teenagers get tattoos as a spur of the moment thing. Half of the time they'll regret their first tattoo by the time they're twenty but Louis' first tattoo was something he could never regret. Having 'oops!' tattooed on the underside of his arm was probably the best decision he's made in his life. Little did the Doncaster lad know that the boy behind the 'oops!' would become his lifelong partner.

In the course of three years, Louis' love for tattoos had increased tenfold. The brunette had accumulated over thirty tattoos, eight of them being matching tattoos with his beloved boyfriend. His mother had scolded him countless times about the amount of tattoos her son was getting but nothing was going to stop him from continuing his masterpiece. Her scolding didn't stop him from getting the large sparrow tattooed across his forearm or the 'It Is What it Is' inked across his chest. When Louis came home with his Stag tattooed on his bicep, he was sure his mother would have lost it then.

Another bonus to his many tattoos was his boyfriend's reaction. Harry loved just how marked up his lover was. Every time Louis came home with something new, the green eyed boy would pounce him and they'd end up fucking right in the doorway or on their living room floor. Louis could only imagine what Harry's reaction would be on Louis' next decision. This was something he had been thinking about for awhile. He wasn't too sure on the idea, but it only added to his visage. He just had to find a time when Harry would be out before he could get it done.

It's the year 2015 and the boys have been going strong in regard to their career. They've managed to release seven albums, four sold out world tours and unfortunately have managed to keep the Larry Stylinson rumors underway. It had really been eating up Harry knowing that he couldn't express his affection in public. He was twenty one now, been in a relationship with Louis for almost five years and he still has to play off that the two our only best friends. Just the other night, the poor lad had broken down into a fit of hysterics because Modest! was forcing him to take his latest beard, Michaela on vacation for a week so paparazzi can snap a few shots of the alleged "lovebirds."  
"This isn't fucking fair!" Harry hissed, violently stuffing his clothes into a duffle bag. "Modest! has gone too far this time!"

Louis frowned as he hovered in the door way of their bedroom, tattooed-covered arms crossed over his chest. "It's only seven days, baby, and then you'll be back in my arms."

Harry's eyes pricked with tears and threw another pair of jeans into the bag and swung around until he was facing his boyfriend. "Seven days is too long, Loubear," Harry sniffed, tears trickling down his cheeks. "I only want to be with you."

Seeing his lover's misty eyes and quivering lip made his heart ache. He kicked off from the door and immediately pulled the boy into his arms, running his fingers through the head of curls soothingly. "Come on, Haz, don't cry. It's only a week. We'll Skype everyday for hours and I'll call you every night and sing you to sleep. Just like I do when you're in my arms."

"But there'll be one thing missing," Harry sniffled, his tears staining Louis' inked shoulder. 

"Yeah? What's that, love?"

"You," he cried, his tears turning into violent sobs. His hysterics startled Louis. The boy had never been this upset before over going out with Michaela, but then again Harry had never been away from his boyfriend for more than a day.

"Hey, shh," the Doncaster cooed, pulling the two to their bed. Harry immediately snuggled up to his boyfriend, arms tightening around his waist and head resting against his chest. 

Louis continued to comb his fingers through Harry's curls, whispering soothing words as he wiped the tears from his boyfriend's cheeks. "A week will be over before we know it, you'll see."

"Can't you and Eleanor meet us up there or something?" the younger lad pleaded, peering up at sapphire eyes with misty jade ones.

"You know I'd love to do that, baby, but management has me taking her to one of the footie matches this weekend and then out to some fancy dinner after," Louis sighed, completely irked at the entire idea. Harry grimaced at the news and buried his face in his chest again. "Don't worry, love, I've got something for management though."

"You do?" Harry perked up, staring at Louis with peaked curiosity.

"Yep, but it's not here, so grab your shoes and let's go!" The Doncaster grinned, patting Harry's back and urging him to get up.

***

"Lou, where are we going?" Harry asked for the fifth time since they hit the road. They had been driving for nearly an hour and the younger lad was getting impatient.

"You'll see, love, it's a surprise," Louis grinned widely as he turned down another street. "You'll love it, babe, I promise."

Harry's face lit up when Louis pulled up in front of their favorite tattoo parlor. "Lou-Lou, what are we doing here?"

"You remember the tattoos we talked about? The matching ones?"

Harry's smile widened and nodded. "The puzzle pieces."

"Yep," was all Louis said hoping Harry would get the gist.

Harry shook his head in disbelief, the smile plastered on his face. "No way! Today?"

Louis cut the engine and turned to his boyfriend. "It breaks my heart when you're upset, Haz, and no matter how far apart we are, my love for you is unconditional. And I think now is a great time to get the matching tattoos we've been talking about for ages."

Harry's eyes welled with tears again and framed Louis' face in his large hands before he brought his lips to Louis'. "I love you, Lou, so much it hurts sometimes."

"I know the feeling," Lou murmured. "Now come on, we've only got four hours until you've got to make your flight."

Harry nodded and quickly got out of the car, walking hand in hand into the shop with Louis as they entered the tattoo shop. Liam, their artist that have practically done all of Louis' and Harry's tattoos greeted them at the door, a large smile on his face.

"Louis, Harry, just on time!" The man greeted, clapping both on the shoulder.

"What?" Harry furrowed his brows, he grabbed onto Louis' bicep and lowered his voice. "Lou, you planned this?"

Louis' face flushed as he nodded at his boyfriend. "Well, yeah. I knew when you had to leave and I wasn't going to let you on vacation with her without properly marking my boyfriend."

Now it was Harry's turn to blush as he squeezed Louis' hand. "Don't make me cry again."

"I wasn't trying to, Haz," Louis chuckled.

"Should we get started?" Liam asked, leading them to the back and patting the backs of the chairs. The lovebirds plopped down in the large seats and Harry looked to his boyfriend for further instructions. "What are you two getting today?"  
"These puzzle pieces," Louis answered, swiping at his phone until he pulled up the photo and showed his artist. Liam took the phone from Louis, chatting with him for a moment before he took the phone and went to put the picture on contact paper.

"So, where are we getting them, Lou? There's no room left on your arms," the curly brunette giggled.

"True," he nodded, examining his arms littered in tattoos. 

In the course of five years, Louis had managed to cover his arms completely in black ink. Management had threatened to pull the Doncaster lad out of the band when they figured out his plan to get full sleeves. Louis couldn't help but snicker at that because he and management both knew that if he left the band, so would Harry and the rest would follow suit. Modest! was greedy and found every which way to earn chunks of money and keep the ball rolling. The company had no choice but to leave the blue eyed boy alone. 

"Our ankles?" Louis suggested.

Harry's eyes dropped to his foot, pulling up the pant leg and examining his bare ankle. "Our right ones?"

"Can you handle that, babe?" the older lad asked, concern lacing his voice. "That's going to be painful."

Harry reached out and took his boyfriend's hand giving it a light squeeze. "When I'm with you, I can handle anything."

Louis smiled at that, leaning over and capturing Harry's lips with his. He still couldn't believe that this curly haired boy belonged to him, let alone dealt with him for the past five years. A voice from behind cleared his throat and Harry quickly pulled away, blushing furiously. Louis chuckled at his boyfriend's sheepishness and rolled his eyes at Liam.

"Way to ruin a moment, Li," Louis laughed.

Liam handed his customer the contact paper with each of the puzzle pieces. "This look good?"

The Doncaster lad examined the drawing, nodding in approval before showing it to his lover. "Good, Hazza?"

"Yes," he smiled. "I want the lighter piece."

"Whatever you want, love."

"Great!" Li exclaimed, "I'll work on Harry's first since he has a flight tonight and then I'll start yours after, Lou."

 

Both boys nodded and Harry gripped Louis' hand after Li laid out the design on the outer side of his right ankle. The buzzing of the needle sent a pinprick feeling through his body and he had to exhale slowly as he felt the first penetration of ink, biting on his lip as it scraped against bone. Louis could practically feel the pain his boyfriend was going through as their artist worked on his ankle. Everyone knew getting tattoos anywhere on your foot was the most painful, but there was no room left on Louis' arms and the Doncaster boy knew Harry wanted their matching tattoos in the same place. In the end, it'd all be worth it and both boys would repeat the painful process if it meant they were that much closer to each other.

***

The Doncaster lad had been anxious. There was only forty minutes until his boyfriend would be home from his trip. He couldn't really call it a trip, more like misery according to Harry. Louis almost felt bad the day his boyfriend had to leave. The boy's ankle was throbbing from their fresh tattoo and on top of that Michaela was acting like a stuck up bitch and the poor Cheshire lad didn't want to spend a weak with her chronic bitchiness. Louis offered to take his boyfriend to the airport but Harry refused claiming it'd be too hard to let go if that was the case. Louis had planned to fly up to meet Harry to surprise him but management had found out and threatened him into staying.

Every night, Louis sang his boyfriend to sleep, murmuring affectionate words and doing everything in his power to keep the younger boy from crying. No matter how hard he tried, his green eyed boyfriend always teared up making Louis' heart break. And now the week was finally over and Harry was coming home. He had a surprise for the younger boy--a surprise he hoped his lover would adore. Louis' thought the surprise made him look hot; added to punk look and if Modest! had an issue with it, they could go fuck themselves.

The sound of their front door opening and closing startled Louis' and he hopped off the bed, a wide smile painting his lips as the boy he had missed for an entire week was home. "Haz!" Louis exclaimed, flinging himself at Harry and holding him a bone crushing hug. Harry immediately returned the embrace, having missed his lover tremendously. He rested his head against Louis' shoulder and basked in the love of his boyfriend before he pulled away, grinning down at his lover before his smile dropped and his eyes widened.

Louis grinned at his reaction knowing full well he noticed the surprise. "You like what you see, babe?"

"Are those....are those..." Harry fish-mouthed, hand coming up to run across Louis' bottom lip pierced with two metal hoops.

"Snake bites?" he offered, soaking up his boyfriend's reaction to his new edition.

"Snake bites," Harry nodded. "Jesus, Lou," he breathed. "When did you get these?"

"A day after you left."  
"That's why you wouldn't Skype with me!" Harry exclaimed, slapping Louis' chest. "You're sly, Louis Tomlinson."

"Do you like 'em?" the brunette asked, his tone turning serious. 

If Harry really didn't like them, he'd take them out and let the holes closed but he wanted to do something new with his body, add to his punk image and he figured snake bites were the best way to go plus he looked good with them. Louis stared at Harry with worried eyes, anxiously waiting his answer.

Instead of a simple reply, Harry grabbed Louis by the collar of his fitted tee and yanked the boy into a heated kiss, the stark contrast of the cool metal and warm lips adding to the intense embrace. Harry could definitely get used to his boyfriend's piercings and there were a shit ton of ideas rushing to his mind on what he could do to experiment them with. He ran his tongue along Louis' snake bites before pulling away, panting heavily. "I fucking love them."


	2. Rebel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The double doors suddenly swung open and the boys instantly went silent turning to face the three people that entered the room. Louis always claimed that they were government controlled people because they were so crisply dressed with their tightly pressed suits and greased-back hair. Harry snorted at that, always reprimanding his boyfriend for degrading management. But then again, they were forced to keep their relationship a secret which ignited a furious flame in both boys. Their secret was part of the reason Louis kept branding himself with different designs. It was a silent 'fuck you' to management and getting the piercing only added to his rebellion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the Punk!Louis series! :D 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this one as well! :D

"I don't care what Modest! thinks," Louis shrugged, slipping on a crimson muscle tee and shimmying into a pair of dark skinnies. 

"I know you don't, babe," Harry smiled, padding over to his boyfriend and curling his arms around his neck. He leaned in and pecked Louis' lips moaning at the contrast between the cool metal and heated lips. "Fuck, Lou, every time I kiss you..."

"Always feels like the first time?" 

"Exactly," he hummed, resting his forehead against Louis'. "Those snake bites have definitely been your best decision."

"I don't think getting those were my best decision, Haz," Lou murmured, hands squeezing his hips lightly. "You were my best decision."

The younger lad blushed furiously and bowed his head, letting his chocolate curls bounce in his eyes. "You know you can't say things like that to me, Lou. S'not fair."

"It's fair, love," Louis chuckled, grabbing his chin and tugging Harry's gaze back up to meet his. He pecked his lips and then slapped his ass. "C'mon, let's go, we've got to be at that meeting in half an hour."

***

Louis was more than confident when they arrived at the all too-familiar building. Harry was nearly sweating bullets and he wasn't even the one with the pierced lips. The Doncaster boy caught Harry's apprehensive expression and sighed before he cut off the engine and turned to his finicky boyfriend.

"Haz, you've got to relax. S'not like they're going to kick me out of the band. They're just piercings."

"If they kick you out of the band, then I'm going to,'' Harry spat, the possibility making him furious.

"Babe, that's not going to happen," Louis assured, caressing his cheek and smiling when Harry nuzzled into the touch. "The worst they can do is make me take out the piercings but then they can go fuck themselves if that's the case."

Harry smirked at that and peered up at his boyfriend. "So, you're not worried?"

"Nah, what's there to be worried about?" Louis shrugged, "Come on, let's go inside."  
The younger lad nodded and got out of the car, taking Louis' hand in his and padding up the steps and into the building. The two could already hear the other lads' playful banter from down the hall. It wasn't uncommon just how loud they were considering how loud the boys typically were whenever they met.

"You ready, babe?" Harry asked as they approached the door.

"Yes, Harry, I'm not worried about it," Louis sighed, grabbing the handle and opening the door. "What's up, mates!"

"Louis!" Niall greeted, holding up his half-eaten sandwich as he waved. His smile instantly widened when he saw the two hoops pierced in Louis' bottom lip. "Holy shite, mate, you've got your bloody lip pierced!"

Niall's reaction sparked an interest in Liam and he turned around, gasping when he saw the metal rings in the older lad's lip. "When you'd get those, Lou?"

"Couple days ago. D'you like 'em?"

"They're....um interesting," Liam answered, chewing on his bottom lip. "Don't you think you're going a bit far with this punk facade, Louis?" 

The twenty-six year-old furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Nah, I think they fit my personality."

"I love them," Harry piped in, squeezing Louis' hand to assure him that he supported him.

"'Course you do, mate, you're always swapping saliva with him," came Zayn's voice from the corner. The vain boy hadn't moved from his spot on the couch, body splayed out and thumbs frantically typing away at his phone. He seemed completely unfazed by Louis' new edition and the Doncaster boy wondered if that was a good thing.

"Management isn't going to be too thrilled with your decision, Louis," Liam frowned. "Maybe you should take them out and have a conversation with them first."

"Fuck no!" Louis snapped. "They can go fuck themselves if they don't like them!"

Liam sighed, running his hand over his buzz before plopping down on the arm of the couch. He didn't want to be the mediator between Louis and management but he had a strong feeling it was going to come down to that. Louis didn't care what anyone thought about his piercings. He loved them because it added to the devious facade he was shooting for and it left Harry mindless in pleasure every time the metal touched his body. The older lad wasn't going to be shunned for his appearance; he wouldn't allow it.

"Well let's just see what happens, yeah?" Harry spoke up. "Maybe management won't care. They're just snake bites. S'not like he got his entire face pierced."

"Harry's got a point," Niall added before taking another bite of his third sandwich.  
The double doors suddenly swung open and the boys instantly went silent turning to face the three people that entered the room. Louis always claimed that they were government controlled people because they were so crisply dressed with their tightly pressed suits and greased-back hair. Harry snorted at that, always reprimanding his boyfriend for degrading management. But then again, they were forced to keep their relationship a secret which ignited a furious flame in both boys. Their secret was part of the reason Louis kept branding himself with different designs. It was a silent 'fuck you' to management and getting the piercing only added to his rebellion.

"What are those on your lips?" one of the pristine people, Kate asked almost instantly upon seeing Louis, her brows upturned in question, her stern gaze piercing Louis.

"They're called snake bites, don't ya know?" was Louis' remark. "'Ave you never seen 'em before?"

The simple question already brought tension into the room and the rest of the boys stared at the encounter with bated breath anticipating the outcome of the situation. Louis stood there, arm crossed and matching their look with a defiant one of his own.

"It was one thing to breach contract and get tattoos but you have crossed the line in regards to those piercings, Mr. Tomlinson," came Katie's bitter tone. 

"Hold on!" The Doncaster boy interjected, holding his hand up to silence her. "There was nothing in the contract about a restriction of tattoos let alone how many were allowed. It's my body and my money and I can do what I very damn well please to it."

"Louis," Harry warned, cupping a hand on Louis' shoulder only to have the older boy shrug it off.

Louis glared at the intimidating group and approached them, eyes furious. "You know damn well you're not going to cut me out of the band because you'd lose money so fast, your head would spin. I'm pretty sure the boys would follow, too, if I'm not mistaken, Katie. So, go ahead, scold me for my image. Tell me how much of a terrible influence I've been to our fans. But let me tell you something," Louis spat, matching up to the woman's level. "You and no one else is going to stop me from being who I am."

The twenty-six year old man felt superior defending himself. The priceless expressions on their faces was enough to make Louis grin in triumph. Zayn had his own devious smirk on his lips as if silently praising Louis for putting Modest! in their place. Liam looked like he wanted to pull his hair out with the amount of tension in the room and Niall could care less, casually listening to the conversation while he continued to stuff his face with food. Harry was another story. The boy wasn't even the one being scolded and he was on the verge of tears. He knew Modest! wasn't going to take Louis' rant lightly and he had a strong fear that they were going to force him and Louis to break up. Albeit that would never happen because neither of them would allow it, these three supreme people had their ways. 

"So be it, Mr. Tomlinson," Mike spoke up, stepping in front of Katie and in front of Louis making the younger man seem inferior. "You can continue with this 'punk' charade and see how far this gets you. Rest assure that Modest! will not tolerate your rebellious nature and if you so as try to undermine us again, there will be severe consequences."

"This is bullshit!" Louis roared. "You can't control how many tattoos and piercings I decide to put on my body. It's my body! Go ahead, Michael, fire me, and see how far that gets you!" he spat before he turned to his trembling boyfriend and took his hand. "Come on, Haz, we're leaving."

Harry wasn't one for disobeying others but he had to support his boyfriend. He wondered what this war was unleashed with this argument and he half wondered if One Direction would be over after this. He said nothing as Louis pulled him out of the room and paced down the hall before the Doncaster boy pinned the Cheshire lad up against the nearest wall and smashed his lips to his, tongue pushing past plump lips and tasting Harry. The curly brunette let out an embarrassing squawk at the sudden action but reciprocated the embrace, hands coming up to grip Louis' biceps. 

"Lou," Harry moaned, eyes fluttering shut at the passionate kiss. He opened his eyes when Louis' lips were suddenly gone and was met with a stare that was difficult to decipher. "Louis?"

"You still love me, right?" the older boy asked, voice breathy and hesitant.

Harry furrowed his brows for a brief moment before he saw absolute fear in his lover's eyes. He nodded frantically, hands coming up to cup Louis' face and pulling him into a soft kiss. "Yes, yes, of course, Louis. I would never stop loving you. What's this about?"

"I've really ticked off management now and we both know what they're capable of."

"And?" Harry voiced, glaring at Louis. "There's nothing that Modest! can do that'll change what I feel for you, Louis. They can force us apart during interviews, tell us we're never allowed to come out as a true couple, but they could never, and I mean never force me to stop loving you, Boobear."

Harry's words were assurance enough that despite the war that Louis had started, his Hazza would never leave him. Louis' hand came up to rest against his boyfriend's cheek, running his thumb along his bottom lip. "Nothing's ever gonna stop me from loving you either, Haz."

"And you damn well better believe it," Harry grinned

***

In the span of two months, the war between Modest! and Louis Tomlinson had only worsened. Michael and Katie assured Louis that he would pay the consequence for piercing his lip and the Doncaster lad simply rolled his eyes, fucking off management and continuing to do what he pleased. Little did he know that he was adding fuel to the fire. 

The day Louis went off in a rampage and left with Harry, the boys went home and they thought it was the end of it since nothing else was said and the rest of the boys came and spent time with the lads; anything to ease the tension and assure Louis that they were in this together. The following day, One Direction had an interview regarding their recent tours and updates. 

Everything seemed to go smoothly until the interview nonchalantly congratulated Louis on his engagement to Eleanor. That was enough to send the tattooed boy into another fit of rage and put his poor Hazza into tears. Louis argued the hell out of that one with Modest! for almost a week, claiming that an engagement to his beard wasn't in the contract. Modest!'s only remark was to snicker and say it was, indeed in the contract. Somehow or another, the contract must have been illegally revised and management had found a way around it. 

On top of the engagement, management forced Harry to take Michaela on a two-month vacation. The Cheshire lad was sure Louis was going to hit the fan with that piece of news. The boyfriends didn't talk for the rest of the night upon that information. Management was tearing the lovebirds apart, or so they thought, and Louis was determined to end this war he created ensuring that he'd have his way. 

To top it all, Louis thought he had devised the perfect plan on getting back at Modest! He posted a picture on twitter revealing his newest accessory believing the fans would eat up Louis' new look only to have the plan backfire when directioners started spewing out hate about the snake bites. At that point, Louis was devastated; was on the verge of breaking down. He wanted to give up. He was livid, upset, and miserable. 

His boyfriend had left a few days ago and the blue eyed boy was left to deal with the hate alone. He hoped Harry saw the negative comments their fans were saying about Louis' piercings and would find a way to comfort him but wherever he was (Modest! refused to let Louis know where Michaela and Harry vacationed) didn't have a cellular connection, literally cutting off all access to his boyfriend. The Doncaster lad didn't know how to handle that. Not hearing for his boyfriend for two months was torture and he knew management did it on purpose; knew it was punishment for Louis' rebellion. 

Modest! had labeled Louis as a bad influence to the band, that the piercings only made his appearance look ratty. Those were only the nicer of the comments popping up every two seconds. If he was labeled as a terrible influence, then by damnit, he was going to assure himself that he kept the 'image' alive.

***

Louis grinned almost devilishly as he looked over his appearance in the mirror. Harry was due home in a few minutes and he couldn't wait to see his boyfriend's reaction. He silently hoped that he hadn't gone too far with his recent addition and that Harry would also approve. He thought it fit this image everyone labeled him as.   
A part of it had to do with how upset and angry he was over Modest!'s plan to overrule Louis and the hatred spewed from his fans. Not to mention his mother's reaction. The boy felt deflated after he visited Jay for a few days. 'No son of hers would be seen with those devil trademarks in his lips.' That had to be the worst blow he had ever taken. His mom had always been supportive of his decisions and he knew how much she resented him for getting the tattoos but apparently the piercings had reached her limit. Jay refused to let her son into her house unless he was properly covered up and the piercings were removed.

Louis heard the door unlock before his boyfriend's voice rang through the house. "Lou, I'm home!" 

The older boy ran his fingers through his tousled hair before he rushed out of the bedroom, having missed his boyfriend tremendously, grinning widely when he saw the lanky boy hovering in the living room. "Hazza! Baby, I missed you!"

The Cheshire lad dropped his duffle bag by the side door and scooped the shorter boy into his arms and holding tightly. He went in for a kiss and paused when he caught a glint of silver over his right eye. "Another piercing, Lou?" Harry smirked, running his thumb over the silver ball in his eyebrow.

"Yeah, why not?" he shrugged. "You know I can't resist getting under management's skin," Louis grinned, eyes searching desperately for any disapproval from his boyfriend "You like it?"

Harry chuckled fondly and shook his head, a smile never leaving his lips. "Of course, I love it. You know, you're such a rebel, Lou. But you're my rebel and wouldn't want you any other way."


	3. My Way or the Highway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We just have a couple of announcements for you boys and wanted to go over the latest album..." Michael, the head of management spoke up as he grabbed the remote and turned on the large screen. There was a 'but' coming, Louis was sure, and rolled his eyes when Michael spoke again. "But first we need to address a few issues in regards to last night's performance."
> 
> "And what might that be, Michael?" Came Louis' bitter question, posture reflecting his attitude.  
> The stout man narrowed his eyes at the Doncaster boy before he turned in his chair and clasped his hands together. "Well for one, Mr. Tomlinson, your attire was quite inappropriate as well as your appearance."
> 
> Louis finally sat up and leaned over the table, mimicking Michael's posture as he quirked a brow. "What was inappropriate about it?"
> 
> "For one, it was a white-tie event and you chose a ratty t-shirt and jeans, Mr. Tomlinson," Katie answered, folding her arms over her chest, posture displaying her authority. "Not to mention your choice of make-up and dyed hair."

"Twenty minutes until the show, boys," one of the crew members informed as he popped his head inside the door at the group lounging in Liam's dressing room.

"Right, mate, thanks," Liam grinned from his spot on the floor. Harry and Louis were engrossed in a passionate embrace on the couch, hands exploring one another's bodies while Niall occupied himself with a meal from Nando's on the other couch. 

"Jesus, do you two have to suck face every chance you get?" Zayn scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Louis broke the kiss long enough to shoot the Muslim boy a glare before he smirked and returned to crashing his lips against his lover's pulling a guttural moan from him. The sound of 'Sex on Fire' from Harry's pocket interrupted their embrace and the blue-eyed man reluctantly pulled away glaring daggers at his boyfriend. 

"That's my alarm," Harry panted, wiping the excess saliva from his lips. "We've got to get ready for the show."

Louis sighed and climbed off his boyfriend and hoisted his lover off the couch, wrapping his arms around his thin waist and pecking his lips. "Alright, I'll see you in a bit."

"I love you," the curly brunette murmured before he stalked out of the dressing room and into his own.

"Catch you mates later," Louis waved before he disappeared to his own dressing room and finding Lou Teasdale patiently waiting by the styling chair.

"Hey, Lou!" The Doncaster lad chirped before plopping down into the chair and spinning it to face the mirror. 

"Louis, darling, how have you been?" She greeted. "How's everything been going with your...." she trailed off when she saw the recent piercings in Louis' face. A small smirk played across her lips and she set her hands on her hips, quirking a brow. "More piercings, love?"

"You know it," Louis winked.

"And who've you exactly pissed off with those additions?"

"Oh, well you know, my mum, management, the fans..."

"Everyone is a critic," Lou commented and dug through her makeup bag and set out the supplies she'd need to do up the short male.

"Hey, Lou, I wanna do something different for the gig tonight. You know, since it's award night?"  
"Yeah?" she raised a brow. "I'm listening."

"I'm thinking eye liner and if you can make it possible, dye my hair?" he asked hopeful, gnawing on one of his lip piercings.

The eccentric woman only giggled as she continued to rifle through her makeup bag before she bent down to rummage through a larger bag and displaying different hair dyes and other hair products. "If you get shit for this, I'm not part of it."

"Don't worry, Lou, I won't toss you under the bus," Louis assured and leaned back in his chair as older woman began to work on his face.

"What do you think?" she shrilled after putting the last finishing touch to her master piece. 

Lou grinned in triumph before spinning the blue-eyed man around to reveal jet black hair styled into a quiff with crimson streaks. His eyes were thickly rimmed with black making his sapphire eyes stand out more than they already did. The Doncaster lad's eyes widened in amazement before a devious smirk settled on his lips at his new facade, utterly satisfied. His previous punk demeanor didn't compare to what his eyes were fixated on at the moment. Louis could definitely get used to this look. He briefly considered investing in eye liner and keeping his hair dark.

"Holy shit, Lou, I love it," Louis gasped as he got off the chair to stare more intensely at his makeover. "You, my dear, are incredible." 

***

Harry rapped on the door before stepping into Louis' dressing room, heart stopping at the sight of the older male lounging in the stylist chair and typing away on his phone. "Holy shit," he breathed.

The blue-eyed lad glanced up at the curly brunette and gave him a sexy smirk. "Hey, Haz, what's up?"

"What's up?" he questioned in disbelief as he stepped in and closed the door. "What's up? Lou, your hair! A-And your eyes!"

"You like?"

"If we weren't due on stage in ten minutes, I'd make you fuck me right in that chair," the taller male exclaimed, eyes wide at the sight of his boyfriend. "Jesus, Lou, that's a hot look."  
Louis chuckled lightly and rose from the chair, walking up to his lover and curling his arms around his slender waste. "Thought I'd add to my look, yeah?"

"It definitely suits it," he whispered as he curled his arms around Louis' neck and pulled him into a searing kiss. "I could definitely get used to this."  
"Mm, I'm sure," he murmured against his lips before trailing his fingers down Harry's sides and then landing a harsh smack to his arse. "I've got to get dressed and you do too, hurry up!"

Harry yelped, cheeks flushing as the light sting resonated to his groin. "Oi, tease!" he gasped but sauntered out of the dressing room anyway.

***

"Louis, are you insane!?" Liam roared, eyes wide in disbelief as he eyed the shorter male clad in crimson skinnies and an obsidian sleeveless tee that clung to his body. "This is a formal event!"

"Yeah, and your point, Liam?" the Doncaster lad quirked a brow, wondering why the younger male was having a fit over his appearance.

"You can't wear a tee and skinnies! It's a black-tie event!"

"If we have to wear jackets and ties, so do you," Niall chimed in.

"Fuck that," Louis scoffed. "I can wear what I damn well please."

Harry sighed, gnawing on his bottom lip in trepidation. He didn't want a repeat of management's input when Louis pierced his lips. Now, his boyfriend had dyed his hair, lined his eyes, and went against management's instructions of formal wear. 

"Baby, please, I love your rebellion and all, but do you have to go against the apparel?" Harry whispered, walking up to his boyfriend and cupping his cheek.

"Haz, you already know my dispute with those fucking pricks. I'm not going to abide by their rules any longer. If they want to kick me out of the band, so be it," Louis snapped, eyes glowering with rage as one of the crew members appeared into the room and handed them their microphones. He snatched the mic from the box and glared at his band mates before storming out of the dressing room.

Harry's lip quivered, trying to fight back tears while Niall and Zayn exchanged bewildered expressions. Liam sighed exasperatedly and pinched the bridge of his nose before he grabbed his own mic, thanking the crew member with a forced smile.

The dispute between management two months ago had sparked a war that seemed to be endless. Not only was Louis' rebellion pushing Modest! to their farthest limit, but it was partially tearing the members of One Direction apart. Of course, their bond was too strong for the friendship to perish but the livelihood of One Direction was on its last limb.

"We have no choice but to let him be," the Wolverhampton boy sighed and encouraged the boys in for a huddle. "His rebellion will die out soon."  
Only it wasn't going to die out anytime soon and Harry knew that. Louis was Louis. All piercings, tattoos, and punk. If anything, his rebellion would only prosper. He was in the process of getting his entire back inked and that was another argument waiting to happen. Luckily, the two haven't been spotted shirtless or the Cheshire lad was certain Modest! would have a conniption. 

***

"Lou, babe, have you seen twitter?!" Harry exclaimed as he walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his naked waist. 

Louis peered up at his boyfriend from his spot on the bed and shook his head. "What's the latest trend?"

Harry padded over to the bed and plopped down, curling up to Louis and scrolling through his phone. "You."

The dark-haired man grabbed the phone from the taller lad and clicked on the twitter app. For a split second, the older male stiffened but instantly returned to his composure as he read the hashtags; #louispuzzletattoo #louisrebellion #punk!louis #louisdissesmanagement.

The only one that stood out to Louis was the puzzle tattoo hashtag. He glanced down at the puzzle piece on his ankle and then the matching one on his lover's before he gazed up at the wide-eyed man. "So a fan spotted my puzzle piece, so what?"

Harry was all for supporting his boyfriend but his holier-than-thou and don't-give-a-fuck demeanor was beginning to grow old to the curly-haired lad. "So what? Damnit, Lou, do you know how much shit we're going to get for that tattoo?!"

"Again, you're implying that I care what Modest! thinks, Haz."

Harry groaned and exasperatedly ran his fingers through his damp curls. "Baby, I know you don't give a fuck what management thinks, but have you taken into consideration what this is doing to us?" he spat. "Not only is your tattoo revealed but that adds to the speculation that I may have one too! I know for a bloody fact that if mine gets revealed it's a wrap! One Direction will be over and so will we!" 

The Doncaster man's expression immediately softened before it morphed into one of fear. "Management can't break us up," he whispered.

"They won't break us up, Lou, you'll end up breaking us up," Harry corrected.

"Because of my rebellion!?"

"Yes, and the fact that you just don't give a bloody fuck about your tattoos or Modest!'s contract!"  
"Haz," Louis whispered, hand coming up to caress his cheek and push the curls out of his face. "Look, baby, I'm sorry. I just...." he sighed and dropped his hand to his lap. "I like how I am and it pisses me off that I'm not allowed to be a certain way. I mean, it's horrible enough that our relationship is kept hidden..."

Harry pursed his lips and sat cross legged on the bed, towel falling into his lap. He grabbed Louis' face and pulled him into a tender kiss, thumbs caressing his cheekbones. "Even if we're never able to come out, you know who you come back to every night."

The blue-eyed boy grinned, placing his hands over Harry's. "My Hazza."

"Yours until the end," he confirmed.

***

Harry startled awake at the sound of 'Human' by the Killers, disentangling himself from Louis' vice around his body and fumbled to grab the phone, swiping at the screen and putting it to his hear. "The bloody hell do you want, Liam?"

"Management's scheduled a meeting in forty-five minutes," the Wolverhampton man replied, voice laced with sleep.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the hotel alarm clock, wanting to strangle Liam for waking him up seven in the morning. "It's not even eight, Liam!" the curly brunette growled. "I'm going back to bed..."

Louis stirred awake at his boyfriend's scathing tone. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and furrowed his brows at the younger male arguing with whoever was on the other line. "Haz, what is it?"

Harry placed his hand over the phone and sighed. "Management wants us at the office in forty-five minutes."

The blue-eyed man narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend before grabbing the phone from him. "Tell management they can kiss my arse."

"Louis!" Harry gasped, eyes narrowing in disappointment before he got out of the bed and tugged on his skinnies. The curly brunette was all for his lover's rebellion but he felt that he had crossed the line with that comment. He glared at Louis as he slipped on his bro tank and searched around the hotel room for his gray beanie. When he located it in the pile of clothes near his duffle, he adjusted it on his head and marched over to the bed, ripping the phone from Louis' ear and getting back on the line. "We'll be there, Li. See you in fifteen,"

The older male stared at Harry as if he had lost his mind. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"  
"We're going to that meeting, Louis," the green-eyed man said sternly, tossing Lou his Aeropostale sweats and a dark v-neck. 

"Like bloody hell I am!" Louis spat, remaining immobile in the bed. "Management can kiss my arse. I already know what the meeting is about, Haz. I'm not going to stand there and let them chew me out again."

"I think you bloody well deserve it this time," Harry mumbled as he padded into the bathroom to brush his teeth. 

That sparked fury in the Doncaster lad as he threw the duvet off his body and stormed into the bathroom. "You're siding with them!?"

"At this point, I'm taking anybody's side," was Harry's curt reply, staring at his boyfriend impassively through the mirror. He put his tooth brush under the facet before sticking it in his mouth.

That threw the older male back, eyes going wide in astonishment. He gnawed on his lip piercing as he ran his fingers through his dyed hair and hovered in the doorway. "You're leaving me on my own?"

"Yup," he mumbled through a mouthful of foam. He rinsed his mouth and then spit, grabbing the towel and wiping off the access foam before turning to look at his boyfriend. "You've dug yourself way too deep this time."

Louis crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his boyfriend, astounded at the words falling from his boyfriend's mouth. "Of all people, I'd thought you'd understand what it's like to be something you're not and doing any and everything to sure you didn't lose yourself," he whispered. "But clearly that isn't the case anymore. What are we even doing here, Haz? As boyfriends? As lovers? Might as well be nothing at all," he muttered before leaving the doorway and quickly changing clothes before leaving the hotel room, leaving the taller male wide-eyed and speechless.

Harry stared down at his feet, eyes coming in contact with the puzzle piece inked on his ankle. Surely, Louis didn't just break up with him. Right? He was only voicing his opinion. Surely, he was. Tears pricked the Cheshire's eyes, body suddenly numb with the idea that his Loubear just left him. He roughly wiped at his eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling as he grabbed his phone and room key and left for the meeting. 

As Harry sat in the cab alone, his fingers itched to dial Louis' number. He wanted to beg and plead for one more chance. That he'd support his boyfriend--ex-boyfriend at this point--in anything he chose to do. He was there when Louis pierced his lips. He was there when he decided to get a full sleeve. Hell, he went along with it when they got matching tattoos, full aware of the consequences they may have to pay for it. Instead, the green-eyed boy messaged Liam, knowing he'd provide some sort of insight to the events this morning. 

Louis just broke up with me...

What!? No he didn't.

He questioned why were boyfriends and then said 'we might as well be nothing at all' =/  
He's in the studio now. I'll talk to him

Don't bother. His mind is made up.

You two have come way too far for this to end so abruptly. I'll talk to him.

Liam, please, for me, don't talk to him. Can you do that for me?

....alright. How far are you? Everyone's waiting..

Thanks...I'm five minutes away. See you soon.

The last time Harry was this nervous was when they did their first show in Madison Square Garden. And that was years ago. Now, he was nervous to confront Louis, who twenty minutes ago was his boyfriend. Funny how quickly one's life could go crashing down in a blink of an eye. The Cheshire lad fiddled with thumbs as he traipsed down the hallway of the studio and approached the silver double doors labeled SYCO. Harry let out a shaky breath and gripped the handle before pushing the door open and stepping into the chilly room.

The boys were strung around a large oval table, Liam smiling sympathetically at the younger male. Louis was sitting at the end between Niall and Zayn and Harry felt his heart crack more at the seating arrangement. Louis and Harry always sat next to each other. Always. 

The tall male quickly took his seat next to Liam, shooting a quick glance to the man with dyed hair and bright sapphire eyes. Louis' eyes met Harry's panicked, apologetic ones before they flickered to the group of people at the head of the table, arms crossed and expression impassive.

"Nice of you to join us, Harry," Katie smiled although it didn't reach her eyes. 

"Sorry, late start," he lied smoothly.

"We just have a couple of announcements for you boys and wanted to go over the latest album..." Michael, the head of management spoke up as he grabbed the remote and turned on the large screen. There was a 'but' coming, Louis was sure, and rolled his eyes when Michael spoke again. "But first we need to address a few issues in regards to last night's performance."

"And what might that be, Michael?" Came Louis' bitter question, posture reflecting his attitude.  
The stout man narrowed his eyes at the Doncaster boy before he turned in his chair and clasped his hands together. "Well for one, Mr. Tomlinson, your attire was quite inappropriate as well as your appearance."

Louis finally sat up and leaned over the table, mimicking Michael's posture as he quirked a brow. "What was inappropriate about it?"

"For one, it was a white-tie event and you chose a ratty t-shirt and jeans, Mr. Tomlinson," Katie answered, folding her arms over her chest, posture displaying her authority. "Not to mention your choice of make-up and dyed hair."

"How many times are we going to go over this?" Louis rolled his eyes, using his hands for emphasis. "You have no authority to dictate me. I am not your puppet and I never will be."  
The rest of the boys bit their tongue, certain this argument was going to escalate again. They feared of the consequences should they intervene. This war was endless. As long as Louis remained who he was and as long as management did everything in their power to override that, the only way this feud would end is if they left SYCO or split up. And at this point, both options weren't too promising.

"You're correct about one of those statements, Mr. Tomlinson," Michael interrupted, a smug smirk on his portly face. "We cannot dictate you, but as long as you're under our contract, we have every opportunity to ensure that One Direction prospers."

"And we will," Louis snapped. "What does it matter what I look like?"

"Image is everything," Katie chimed.

"Fuck image!" He roared. And let the games begin, all the boys thought, eyes flickering between the three. "There's four other boys that may abide by your 'rules' but I certainly won't!"

"We figured you'd continue with this charade," Katie smirked, hazel eyes staring viciously into Louis' enraged ones. "You've also sparked a controversy with the media."

For the first time since the argument, Louis was stumped. His posture faltered slightly and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest again, brow upturned in curiously. "What particular controversy? Clearly my 'punk facade' has created quite a bit of controversy lately." 

"We're referring to your latest tattoo, Louis," Michael informed, gesturing to the Doncaster's outer ankle containing an outline of a puzzle piece. 

Louis' blue eyes followed Michael's hand and only shrugged when it was the tattoo. "Yeah, and?"

"Do you have a matching piece, Harry?" Came Katie's stern voice to the curly brunette.  
Harry's body stiffened, eyes going partially wide as he fish-mouthed for an answer. He fiddled with his fingers, gaze immediately dropping to the table. His reaction alone was enough to confirm Modest!'s suspicion.

"Don't answer that, Harry," Louis spat, standing from his place between Niall and Zayn and going over to clap his hands on Harry's shoulders causing the younger lad to flinch. It was torture to feel his ex's hand on him, even in the most general manor. "You've been aware of our relationship for the last five years. What does it matter that we've gotten another tattoo together?"

"Your others weren't as blatant as this one, Mr. Tomlinson," Katie almost hissed. "Two puzzles pieces clearly signify an arrangement between you two."

"Bloody hell, it isn't a fucking arrangement!" Louis roared, tossing his hands in the air for emphasis. "Harry and I are in love! We're in a relationship! It's terrible enough that we're not allowed out, but dictating what I can and cannot to do to my body and expressing how I feel for my boyfriend is absurd."

And it was absurd. Modest! had basically ran their lives from the time they were placed together on X-Factor and did their first performance. In the beginning, neither of the boys recognized the dictation. But then again, Harry and Louis hadn't become an item. It was the cat and mouse game for the first year until one day, Louis took it upon himself to pin Harry to the wall and kiss him senseless before claiming the younger as his boyfriend. From then, they just took off, became inseparable, promising nothing would tear them apart.

The green-eyed lad was a bit taken aback at Louis' rant. A part of him was a bit relieved that their relationship wasn't over albeit there was a lot that needed to be discussed in regard to the morning's events. He'd stand by Louis through anything and he almost felt like he failed him earlier this morning which in return jeopardized their relationship. 

The other three members of One Direction watched the argument silently, fearing that any input from them would only add fuel to the flame. Even Daddy Direction, whom seemed to be the mediator of all tense conversations couldn't offer a solution. Louis had dug himself way too deep this time, finding a way out would be a treacherous journey.

"One more rebellious move from you, Mr. Tomlinson and it'll be the last," Michael threatened, icy orbs burning into Louis' furious cobalt’s.

A devious smirk played at the Doncaster's lips and he quirked a brow. "Is that so..." he hummed, glancing at the panic-stricken expression etched on his lover's face as if he was silently pleading with him not to do something drastic. Louis rolled his black rimmed eyes, smudged from the previous night and held out his hand for Harry to take. "Come on, Haz, I've had enough of this."  
Harry's eyes widened as they flickered between Modest! and his band mates before he hesitantly slipped his hand in Louis' and stood up from the table. The older male instantly pulled the curly brunette to his side, protective arm curling around his hip as he narrowed his eyes at the leaders of Modest! before he sauntered out of the conference room, sending them a "fuck you" on the way out.   
"Louis, what are you doing?! Y-You just can't overpower Modest! We've signed a contract!" Harry babbled as Louis held fast to his hand and led him down the hall and to the elevator. "We have to go back!"

The dyed hair man stopped abruptly, pinning his boyfriend against the nearest wall and crashed their lips together, tattooed hands coming up to thread through the unruly curls, securing Harry's face to Louis'. The taller male let out an unmanly squawk at the shock of it all, body involuntarily surrendering to the tattooed lad, hands gripping his hips. Harry could feel Louis smirking against his lips because he knew exactly what he was doing, knew how to make the curly-haired lad submit to him.

Harry broke away, lips kiss-swollen and wet. "W-We have to go back," he whispered, trying to regain his breath.

"Until they pull their heads out of their arses, I'm not going back, Harry," Louis said defiantly. "You can go back to those pricks, but I'm going back to the hotel." And with that, the rebellious man stalked down the hallway, nimble fingers anxiously hitting the down button so the elevator would open. He wanted nothing more than to get out of that building. 

The lanky male remained paralyzed against the wall as he tried to process everything, staring after his boyfriend whom idly tapped his foot. It was as if he knew Harry was burning a hole into the back of his neck and peeked over his shoulder with a smoldering gaze. "Well, are ya comin?"  
At that moment, Harry had to decide which was more important; his career or his love. If he entered that elevator, he was turning his back on Niall, Zayn, and Liam. But if he remained stationary, he was giving up his reason for existence. Louis was his everything; the reason why he woke up in the mornings, the reason why his smile was always so bright. Louis was the only man that could make his heart beat fast and slow at the same. He was truly, madly, deeply in love with this rebellious man and he knew it would be the largest regret in his life if he didn't follow him.

The curly brunette swallowed the dry lump in his throat and kicked off the wall, rushed down the hallway as the metal doors slid open. He took his boyfriend's outstretched hand and stepped into the confined space. He peered down at his tattooed lover and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Louis' in a tender embrace. "I promised I'd follow you into the dark and I intend to keep that promise forever."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!!
> 
> So this whole Punk!Louis thing is a bit delayed since it was a trending topic like six months ago, but I'm just going through my One Direction folder and posting the stories I removed from tumblr!

"I'm telling you, Ni, we need to drop SYCO," Louis sighed, lounging in his bed as he stared impassively up at the ceiling. "This is going way too far."

"No offense, mate, but it's your fault. You were the one that decided to defy Modest! and look where it's gotten you. How's sleeping alone been?"

Louis narrowed eyes and glared at the ceiling. "Shu'up."

"It's the truth, is it not?"

"Goodbye, Niall," the rebel growled.

"Seriously, mate. All of this could have been avoided had you not dropped off the deep end with your insane teen angst and rebellion," the Irish lad explained with a sigh, food half full of his signature Nandos.

The older lad desperately wanted to glare at his band mate only his words were true. If he hadn't gone off the deep end, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't be lying in bed alone at the moment, his mum would be speaking to him, offering him advice on how to make this situation right again. And yet, here the tattooed lad lay; single and upset.

"There's two things wrong with your statement, Niall," Louis laughed. "One, I'm in my twenties, so I can't have teen angst. Number two, I am who I am and if Modest! can't handle that, fuck 'em. I think we should just drop SYCO."

"And who exactly would take on One Direction so late in the game?"

"Are you kidding me, Niall?" Louis mock-gasped. "Anyone would be grateful to have us sign with them! We're fucking legend!"

"And there goes the cockiness," Niall snickered.

"Is it not the truth?" Louis prompted.

"Ya got me there, mate."

"Exactly. Well, I'm going to let you go. Enjoy your Nandos."

"Thanks, Lou, I will. Try and not to crack. It's only one more month."

"S'along time, Niall," the pierced man sighed, glancing down at his visible puzzle piece. A rush of guilt spread through his body like a wildfire and he frowned. He missed his Hazza. "A really long time."  
"S'not like he's gone forever, Lou. He'll be back," the younger male tried to offer some type of comfort. But face it, when Louis was down, he was down. There was only one person that could lift his spirits and that particular person was 8,000 miles away. "Go through your phone, look at the pictures and texts between you two. I'm sure it'll help."

"Yeah, thanks, Ni. Catch ya later, mate," Louis sighed and then tapped his phone to end the call. He turned on his side, eyes coming in contact with the empty top of the dresser; where his Hazza's random baubles used to lie; his countless hair products, his necklaces and rings, and Louis' favorite; a picture of the two back in their X-factor days. Now, the top of the dresser was a desolate spot, equivalent to the emptiness in the dyed-hair lad's heart.

Louis' hadn't realized he was crying until a few tears landed on his phone screen, startling him. He quickly thumbed away the tears and turned his back to the dresser, eyes finding the ceiling once more. He grabbed his phone and found his Skype app. Maybe he was awake. Maybe he was lounging by the beach and had an ounce of free time. With those possibilities lingering in his mind, Louis tapped on Harry's username and waited in anticipation as it rang.

The blue-eyed man was about to give up all hope when it rang and rang until the call connected and the screen was flooded with wild curls and bright emerald eyes. "Louis!" came Harry's baritone voice.

"Hey, Hazza," Louis' murmured, voice just above a whisper in fear that his voice would give away the heartache. "How's Milan?"

"Shit without you," he sighed, dexterous fingers running through his unruly curls.  
Louis could now see that Harry was lying in bed, clothed in nothing but a pair of red sweatpants. "Where's Michaela?"

"Out tanning or something, I don't know," he shrugged. "How's life over there?"

"Not the same..."

"It's just a few more weeks, Lou, and then I'll be back in your arms," Harry murmured.  
"6 more weeks, Hazza. That's too long."

"If you didn't go on that rampage two months ago, I'd be in your arms, Loubear," Harry admonished.

"You remind me every time we talk, Haz, I know," Louis grumbled.

After him and Harry left that day, everything was eerily quiet for a few weeks. Luckily, that performance at the award show was their last performance for awhile until they had to start recording their latest album. At first, Louis had thought he had gotten away with blowing up in Modest! face only to have everything backfire on him when Michael called Harry one morning informing him that he had an hour to pack his clothes for a trip to Milan with Michaela. At that point, neither males had a choice to rebel against those orders and Louis sulked the entire hour Harry rushed to pack. It pissed him off more that his Hazza was crying the entire time, not wanting to leave his Loubear for three months. Modest! had gone overboard with that and Louis was determined to do something about it. He just needed the rest of the boys to agree with the plan he was mustering.

There was a sound of a door opening and then closing and judging by Harry's eyes leaving his phone for a brief moment, Michaela had returned. "Michaela's back..."

Before Louis' could reply, a girl with strawberry blonde hair and doe eyes appeared next to Harry. "Hey, Lou."

"Hello, Michaela," was Louis' curt reply.

"Listen, I'm sorry about all this. My husband isn't too happy with the sudden vacation either," she said guiltily, cheeks flushing pink.

"S'not your fault, it's those arses'."

"If it makes you feel better, Harry and I haven't done anything together."

Her reply made Louis chuckle, the first bit of happiness in two months. "Well, of course, you haven't, Michaela, he likes cock over that."

"Louis!" Harry gasped, cheeks going crimson.

"Just stating the truth, Hazza," Louis laughed, finding his lover's reaction comical.

Michaela giggled and plopped down next to Harry. "I mean that we don't do any activities together out here. If I'm in the hotel, Harry's out lifting weights or sightseeing and vice versa."

"Isn't Modest! monitoring you two, or at least sending paparazzi out to get pics of the 'insatiable couple'?" he asked, rolling his eyes at his own terms.

"Eh, here and there," she replied with a shrug. "I think paparazzi have caught us once or twice out 'together'."

That made the Doncaster's eyes widen and flicker to Harry. "Seriously, Haz? Modest! is going to flip."

Harry shrugged and gave Louis his award-winning smile. "I'm getting tired of their shit to be honest, and so is Michaela."

"My Harry, the rebellion? Am I rubbing off on you, love?"

"In more ways than one, babe," the curly brunette snickered.  
Louis' heart swelled at those words before his words clicked and he gave Harry a mischievous smile. "You've got a dirty mouth."

"My words were innocent, Lou, you just made them dirty," the younger male laughed. "God, I miss you, Louis," Harry sighed after a moment.

Louis pursed his lips and sat up in their bed cross-legged. "I miss you, too, Hazza."

"One more month, Lou."

"One more month," Louis sighed.

"I love you, Lou."

"I love you, too, Haz, take care." And then the screen went black leaving Louis in the dark and alone.

Harry was tired of Modest!'s shit. He claimed those words himself only minutes ago. Louis had been through with their mess since the time him and Harry became an item. The rebel conjured up an idea; an idea that would leave management and their fans speechless. Louis almost snickered as he hatched the plan. One more month. One more month and their world would change. It would change for the better of One Direction and for the better of Larry Stylinson. 

***

Louis stood in the terminal, hands stuffed into his black hoodie, his obsidian-dyed hair with crimson streaks making the short male stand out to the rest of the passerby. The Doncaster lad had been waiting three months for this day. His Hazza was finally coming home. He couldn't wait to give his lover his surprise. Louis knew Harry would be hesitant in the beginning about it, probably loathe the blue-eyed man for awhile, but in the end it would all be worth it. They could finally be a happy.

Sapphire eyes rimmed with eye liner caught the sight of all legs and brown curls at the gate, his heart jumping out of his throat at the sight. "Hazza!"

Harry's eyes snapped to the sound, emerald orbs brightening when they landed on his boyfriend. "Louis!" he rushed past a few lingering passengers, weaving in and out of the crowd and crashing his body against his lover's shorter one. "I'm home! I'm finally home!"

Louis held his boyfriend tight to his frame, burying his face in the crook of his shoulder inhaling that heady scent he had missed for the last sixteen weeks. "Oh, Hazza, I've missed you so much," he mumbled before pressing a tender kiss to his lover's neck and pulling away to stare up in misty jade eyes. "Don't cry, Hazza, we're together again."

The taller lad smiled watery and quickly thumbed away his tears. "I c-can't help it," he sniffed. "I missed you so much. Thirteen weeks was too long without my Loubear."  
"You won't be away from me anymore, Haz, I promise," Lou vowed, grabbing one of Harry's duffle bags and slinging it over his shoulder. "You must be knackered."

"A twenty-two hour flight will do that to ya," he chuckled softly and picked up his other bag. He reached for Louis' hand but then quickly realized they were in public albeit a private terminal and tightened his grip around the strap of his duffle.

Louis furrowed his brows and grabbed the curly brunette's hand, bringing his hand to his lips and pressing a chaste kiss against his knuckles. "I have a surprise for you."

Harry shot Louis a look, wiggling his hand out of his grip. "You know we can't..." he hissed.  
"I don't care," Louis growled back and took Harry's hand again.

Harry's eyes widened and his eyes darted around for any paparazzi, breathing a sigh of relief when there were none. "Lou, if we get caught....we're screwed. But what's your surprise?"

"It's all part of it, Hazza."

The green-eyed boy furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life," Harry quickly said.

"Good," Louis smiled and brought his hand up to his lips again. "Then trust me."

Harry wanted to press Louis more about what he had just said. Trust him, why? What devious plan was the rebel conjuring up? Would it jeopardize One Direction? Their relationship? All these questions swam around the younger lad's mind and if he didn't figure it out, he was sure he'd go crazy. Sure, his lover was a rebel and that's what made Harry apprehensive about this...surprise. Louis was capable of any and everything. Hell, the surprise could be anything and that's what made Harry the most cautious.

"Right now, I just want to go home and sleep with my Loubear," Harry whispered as Louis popped the trunk to their Range Rover, taking the bag from the taller male and shoving the luggage into the back.

"Sleep with me, huh?" Louis smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"In both contexts," Harry snickered.

"I'll have to see what I can do, then," the shorter male teased before going around to his side and starting the car. He looked in both directions before pulling out into the street and heading back to their flat.

***  
It had been a few weeks since Harry returned from Milan and their social lives were heavily monitored by none other than Modest! and Harry knew Louis was chomping at the bit about it. He was grateful that another confrontation hadn't risen between them because he wasn't sure if he could handle another lengthy vacation from his boyfriend. Rehearsals had been nothing out of the ordinary and again, Harry was grateful for that. Management still wasn't pleased with Louis' new discovery of eye liner but since the positive feedback outweighed the negative, they were tolerant of it.

The curly brunette almost felt that these last few weeks were like a calm before a storm; a storm that was keeping the younger male awake at nights and apprehensive every time he was out in public with the boys. Everything seemed too good for too long. There had to be something coming; an uproar of some sort that would spark more controversy. Harry never used to think this way but since his boyfriend decided to pierce and ink his body without consent, he can't help but wonder what issue would pop up next.

And just like that, in the middle of their rehearsal, the theater doors sprang open and in came Katie and Michael, storming down the center, eyes smoldering with unmasked fury. Katie had a folder clutched tightly in her hand, all eyes on the green-eyed male. Liam signaled to cut the music as One Direction huddled together and moved toward the edge of the stage.

"What's up, Katie?" Liam asked tentatively, already knowing what news she had to deliver wasn't good.

"I need to speak with Mr. Styles and Mr. Tomlinson privately," she hissed, already heading into a vacant office space.

Harry's eyes widened, gaze flickering to Louis who stood there impassively. "What'd we do now, Lou?" the taller male whispered, eyes welling with tears. Harry was sure it was something he did since Katie's scathing look was focused on him.

Louis had a snarky remark but when he glanced over at his boyfriend and saw the curly brunette with tears trekking down his cheeks, he shook his head and quickly walked over to Harry, bringing his boyfriend into a tight embrace. "Hey, hey, no, it's not your fault. It was probably mine. Whatever happened, it was my fault, Haz. You did nothing wrong. You've been the silent in all this mess, I promise. Hazza, don't cry, baby, please," Louis whispered, trying to soothe the male who started full on sobbing in his lover's shoulder.

"Hey, mate, it's probably nothing," Zayn whispered, clapping a hand on the youngest lad's shoulder.

Harry's breathing stuttered as he pulled away, quickly wiping his tears. "I can't g-go on another trip, Lou. N-Not without you."

"You won't, Hazza, I promise," Louis declared, tattooed hands coming up to wipe the remaining tears off the green-eyed lad's face. "C'mon." He smiled reassuringly at Harry, taking his boyfriend's hand and leading him off the stage and into the room where Katie and Michael stood against the dark walls. Their arms were crossed in that authoritative posture that made Louis roll his eyes. They may possess that aura, but they exuded none.

"What now, Katie? What could we have possibly done to get out of your good graces?" Louis sighed, plopping down in one of the chairs opposite them before pulling Harry into his lap, inked arms curling possessively around his waist. A small smile played across the rebel's lips when he could practically feel the discomfort emanating off of them. Served them right.

"I thought we made it perfectly clear that you were to keep your tattoo hidden, Harry," Katie hissed, pulling out the candid photo and slamming it against the table making the accused jump.

"I d-did!" Harry spluttered. "Michaela covered it up for me with make-up every time we stepped out into public. She can vouch for me." Louis tightened his hold around Harry's hips, pressing a tender kiss to the back of his neck. If it weren't for his boyfriend's hold around his body and the feel of his lips against the back of his neck, Harry was certain he would have broken down by now, giving Katie and Michael the opportunity to use his vulnerability against him. It was moments like these that he was grateful to have his Louis.

"Did you happen to go into the ocean, Harry, and by chance that the make-up may have washed off?" came Michael's scathing tone.

"Wait a minute," Louis piped in, sitting up in the chair and adjusting Harry in his lap. "You guys hire the paparazzi! So, why in the bloody hell can you get on Harry's arse about his tattoo being discovered? We were under the impression that the paparazzi was strictly hired to take candid photos of him and Michaela together, not berate him over a slip up." It was music to Louis' ears to hear them speechless, their eyes wide in astonishment. They didn't think that one through. "So, it looks like your argument is invalid, Katie and Michael. Whoever snapped that photo just wanted to stay in your graces. Harry did everything right with Michaela so you have no reason to punish or berate him. The picture hasn't made headlines, thanks to you, so again, I don't know why you've come 'ere to start up shit."

Katie fish-mouthed at Louis' admonishment. Harry buried his face in Louis' neck to conceal the smile spreading across his lips making the rebellious man snicker in triumph. Michael straightened up again and brushed out the invisible wrinkles in his unflattering jacket.

"So if you're done trying to break me and my boyfriend up, I think we're going to go out and finish rehearsal," Louis said matter-of-fact before patting Harry's thigh, urging him to stand. He intertwined their hands and headed for the door before halting abruptly and turning around to glare at a shell-shocked albeit livid Katie and an obtuse Michael. "Oh, and the next time you want to scold us for our "indecent" behavior, it better be something mind-blowing."

With that, Louis tightened his grip on Harry's hand and led him out of the room, smug grin plastered on his face. Before they made it to the stage, Harry reversed the control, pulling Louis down an empty hallway and pushed him into an abandoned room. He pinned the shorter male up against the wall and crashed his lips against Louis', fingers threading through the dyed tresses.

"Haz..." Louis moaned against his lips, fingers gripping Harry's hips tightly as he felt his erection press uncomfortably against this jeans. "Whoa, baby, what...?"

"You were so hot back there...." the curly brunette breathed, mouth moving down his boyfriend's neck and sucking up a mark below his jawline. "Fuck, Lou, turned me on so much."

"Shit, Hazza, what're you gonna do?" Louis panted, all the blood rushing to his startled erection, gasping when Harry's hand palmed him through his skinnies before squeezing lightly causing the older male to yelp.

"M'gonna show you..." Harry pulled away to say, lips kiss swollen and wet before he dropped to his knees and fumbled with Louis' button on his jeans, yanking down the denim and boxers in one go before he sucked the rebel down to the root causing the older male to cry out. He quickly brought his hand up muffle his moans, eyes rolling to the back of his head as Harry continued with his onslaught.

"H-Haz, shit...I..." he tried to speak coherently but Harry's mouth was doing fucking wonders to his cock pulling moans and gasps from him left and right. Harry gripped the back of his boyfriend's thighs, increasing the suction tenfold as he pushed back his gag reflex and took Louis' deeper, swallowing around the head. "Harry, fuck! M'gonna come!"

Harry hummed around his cock, encouraging him to do so, bobbing his head back and forth until he felt his lover stiffen and empty into his mouth with a strangled cry. The curly brunette happily swallowed and promptly pulled off, lips swollen and pink, a dribble of Louis' come trickling down the side of his mouth. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before he quickly adjusted Louis' jeans on hips again and stood back up. "That's for being my rebellious Lou."

"Mm," the shorter male hummed, legs like Jell-O as he held onto his boyfriend, staring at the taller male with hazy orbs. "I like being rebellious Lou."

***

The sound of screaming girls were deafening. The boys peeked out from behind the curtains at the thousands of fans anxiously waiting for them to put on a spectacular show. "Would you look at 'em, mates, it's insane," Niall commented, shaking his head in disbelief.

Zayn jogged over to Niall and peered over his shoulder at the stadium filled to the brim of hyper teenagers. "Christ, the stadium's huge!"

"And a perfect venue," Louis snickered from his spot on the couch, Harry lounging in his lap and playing with a lock of the dyed hair.

"A perfect venue for what, Lou?" The younger male asked, furrowing his brows at his boyfriend.  
"You'll see, Haz, it's a surprise," the blue-eyed man murmured flashing that smile that made Harry melt before he leaned forward and sealed their lips together. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life," Harry hummed against Louis' lips, hazy emerald orbs gazing into electric blue.

"Good, then tonight is the start of something new," the older lad beamed before pecking Harry's nose and gently scooting him off his lap. "Come on, we're on in ten!"

The curly brunette wanted to push the matter further but realized it may spark another argument between them and he didn't know if his poor heart could handle watching his lover storm out again. After all, he trusted Louis with his life and whatever he planned tonight certainly wouldn't jeopardize their career....right? Harry quickly shook those thoughts out of his mind and hopped off the couch, double checking his appearance before he strutted over to the group.

One Direction huddled up, doing their signature chant and encouraging words before grabbing the microphones out of the box and taking their places beneath the stage. After tonight, everything was going to change. Louis was nervous, he wasn't going to deny that. He was taking a leap of faith with this one and he just prayed that the thousands of screaming girls would have his and Harry's support after this. He was aware of the shit storm brewing up as he went over the final pieces to his plan.

Since the day Harry left for Milan with Michaela, Louis had been dropping subliminal messages through his messages on twitter that only the Larry Stylinson directioners would catch. There's been a few that had already caught the hints, firing questions back at Louis in hopes the tattooed rebel would confirm. Not yet, he always thought as he'd send typical One Direction answers in return.

The moment had finally arrived. The moment that was the key to Louis and Harry's new life. The dyed-hair lad with black rimmed eyes was startled out of his reverie by the crew member counting them down before they were sprung up, popping on stage, the screaming becoming eardrum shattering shrieks.

They started off with "Up All Night" before moving to "Stand Up" and then "Teenage Dirtbag" before the boys went to intermission.

"Melbourne make some noise!" Niall screamed into the microphone before pointing to the crowd. "That's what we like to hear! How is everyone tonight? Good? That's great!"

Louis glanced over at his boyfriend from his spot on top of the speakers, the curly-haired lad running his fingers through his unruly hair only mussing it up more. He could feel a pair of eyes on him and glanced over, catching Louis gawking at him which only make his cheeks flush. He stuck his tongue out at him before hopping off the stairs and going to join the Irish lad conversing with the crowd. He didn't want to give their relationship away. God forbid management flips for the little antics they just exchanged.  
"Our next song is one of our older ones," Harry chimed in, grinning his megawatt smile that made the girls shriek louder. The beginning of 'Live While We're Young' started playing as the boys started running and hopping around stage, getting the crowd more amped up then they already were. One Direction followed the set list accordingly, the fans revved up and chanting their name for an encore as the boys left the stage to quickly change clothes before they performed the last two songs of the night.

"You okay, babe?" Harry asked, slipping into a fresh black tee. "You look nervous. Your hands are trembling."

Louis changed into a crimson muscle tee and fixed the few dyed strands that went disarray. "Yeah, Haz, I'm fine. Just amped from the concert."

"Can we discuss this later? We've got to get back on stage. We're on a time limit," came Daddy Direction's voice as he handed the lovebirds their mics before ushering Niall and Zayn toward the door.

Louis rolled his eyes and pecked Harry's lips before murmuring an 'I love you' and taking his place behind the curtain opposite of his boyfriend. On cue, the boys rushed back on stage, the crowd's shrills spiking when they boys came into view. The last two songs went smoothly and they were just about to wrap up with their typical farewells when Louis approached Liam and whispered in his ear, cutting off the Wolverhampton boy's statement.

The younger lad's eyes went wide for a moment before he nodded and took a step back, giving Louis the floor. The punk lad nodded to Niall who simply smiled at Harry and disappeared backstage to grab his guitar and two chairs setting them across from each other.

"How're we doing tonight, Melbourne?" Louis called into the microphone, smiling wider when their screams echoed the stadium. "That's great to hear! I've got a special surprise for all of you and for my dearest friend Harry! So, Harry, if you'd take a seat right here, please."  
The curly brunette furrowed his brows but followed the instruction, plopping down into the metal seat and running his fingers through his curls, glancing up at Louis with panic-stricken eyes.

'Trust me,' Lou mouthed back as he took his seat opposite Harry. He brought the mic up to his lips again and turned to the Irish lad. "Niall, if you would please. This song goes out to my dearest friend and the love of my life." Those four words were enough to have the girls screaming again, already giving away that Larry Stylinson was real, or so they believed.  
Niall smiled and sat on the last step of the set up, setting the guitar in his lap as two women in sleek black dresses carrying electric violins entered the stage. By now the crowd had simmered to hushed voices, others squealing in delight, some baffled by the surprising set and the majority ready to burst into tears. The light strum off the guitar started to play before the violins joined in before Louis grabbed his boyfriend's hand and began to sing. 

"The day we met,  
Frozen I held my breath  
Right from the start  
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart...  
... beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave?  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow  
One step closer  
I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath  
Every hour has come to this  
One step closer  
I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me  
I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more...  
I'll love you for a thousand more...  
One step closer  
I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me  
I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more...."

As the song came to a finish, Louis squeezed Harry's hand before he set the microphone down and cupped either side of his boyfriend's face, sealing their lips in a tender kiss, tuning out the shocked gasps and screaming girls. Tears trickled down Harry's cheeks as he gasped against Louis' lips, pulling away after a moment and staring into anxious sapphire eyes with frenzied jade ones.  
The rebel just out them. In front of thousands of fans. In the back of the Cheshire's mind was the notion that their career might be over after this. He was sure Katie and Michael just had a coronary. At this point, Harry was speechless. The words were stolen right out of his mouth the moment Louis' lips found Harry's. He was afraid to turn and stare at the crowd, fearing he'd find nothing but judgment in their features.

As if sensing Harry's discomfort and apprehension, he thumbed away his lover's tears and grabbed the mic again, pecking his lover's lips one more time before standing up to face the shell-shocked crowd. "We hope you all had a wonderful night! Me, my boyfriend, and the rest of the boys hope to see you all next year when we return to Melbourne!" The tattooed lad handed the mic to Liam, winking at the wide-eyed man before he grabbed Harry's hands and rushed off the stage, high on the adrenaline.

"You've gone completely mental!" Harry shouted, voice finally returning to him when they were in the privacy of their dressing room.

The older male burst out laughing, mind reeling from his latest admonition. The shit-eating grin plastered on his face refused to fall as he scurried around the dressing room, stuffing his and Harry's clothes into their shared duffle bag. "Mental or not, we're finally out, Hazza!" Louis exclaimed, dropping the duffle on the floor and pinning his boyfriend to the wall, kissing him heatedly. "No more hiding...no more beards....just us!"

Everything happened so quickly, Harry barely had time to register it all. He knew everything would come flooding back to him in the morning, but at the given moment, it only took the younger lad a few seconds to register how elated his boyfriend was before his face broke out into a cheek-splitting grin. "We're out as a true couple!"

"That's right, baby, we are! And frankly, I don't give a shit what Modest! thinks," Louis chimed, laughing nearly hysterically. "Come on!" he smiled and scooped up his bag before taking his boyfriend's hand and running out of the arena. The two lovebirds hailed a cab back to their hotel, unable to keep their hands off each other, bodies laced with adrenaline and jubilation. Larry Stylinson was out and nothing felt better than the high Harry and Louis were on.

***

The sun cascading through the silk curtains pulled the curly-haired boy out of a deep slumber. He furrowed his brows as the light blinded him before he sat up in bed and wiped the sleep out of his eyes. He stretched, wincing as he heard his muscles crack and pop from the previous night of lovemaking. He lost track after the fourth round. Louis was an animal, fueled by last night's events and the unconditional love for the Cheshire lad.

Las night's concert suddenly hit Harry like a freight train and his eyes widened, hand flying up to cup his mouth. "Holy shit!"

"What is it?" came Louis' voice from the bathroom, peeking his head out to glance at his lover, sheets twisted around Harry's lithe frame and his hair in every direction. "What's wrong?"  
"You outed us last night, Louis!" Harry exclaimed. "We're so fired!"

"I thought we went over this last night..." Louis sighed, opening the door and strutting out naked save for the towel around his waist.

"You fucked my brains out last night," Harry snickered. "I don't even remember falling asleep."

"That's because you passed out after round five." Louis winked as he dressed in a pair of Topman briefs and climbed in behind Harry, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and pressing a kiss to the back of his head. "I shut our phones off last night because management wouldn't stop calling."

"What!?" Harry gasped and went for his phone only to have his boyfriend tighten his hold around his waist, binding the curly brunette to the Doncaster lad. "Lou, let me go! I have to explain..."

"You don't have to do anything. Just relax and here me out, yeah," Louis murmured, pressing reassuring kisses down the back of neck, smiling against the pale skin when Harry shuttered in response. "Do you really want to go back into hiding? Go on reluctant trips with Michaela? Be Modest!'s puppet for the rest of our career?"

Harry chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at the wall in front of him, hands idly fiddling with Louis' fingers. His boyfriend was right. If he returned management's calls, there would be a huge uproar. He's sure twitter has crashed a dozen times since last night and the Cheshire lad couldn't help but crack a smile at that. Larry Stylinson was real. "Feels good to be out publicly," the younger male mumbled.

"Exactly," Louis smiled and weaved his fingers through Harry's curls to pull his boyfriend into a kiss. "Be out and proud, baby. We've even made the headlines!" Louis chirped as an afterthought, pulling away from Harry enough to grab the newspaper off the bedside table and place it in front of green-eyed man.

The curly brunette's eyes widened to the size of saucers when he saw the front page. It was right there, clear as day, in black and white; a picture of the two sharing an intimate kiss in the middle of the stage. It happened. He didn't dream it. Louis had outed them. Harry quickly scanned the article, grimacing at how 'outraged SYCO Entertainment was for the deceitful behavior' and that 'One Direction's career was in jeopardy.'

"One Direction in jeopardy?" Harry swallowed, traces of panic etched in his features.  
Louis quickly calmed his worries by taking the newspaper from the younger male and grabbing his chin before kissing him deeply. "Do you trust me?"

Harry's lips cracked into a small smile as he closed his eyes and nodded. "With my life."  
"Then everything will be okay," the tattooed man murmured and turned Harry in his lap so he was straddling him. He cupped either side of Harry's face and brought his plump lips down to thin ones. "This is just the beginning."

***

Eight Months Later...

"Haaaaaaaaz!" Louis sang as he entered their flat. "Where are you?"  
"In the kitchen, Lou," the younger male chuckled, walking out of said room, hands covered in flour, his hair pushed back by the toothed headband. "Where've you been? I woke up this morning and you were gone," he whispered, pouting adorably.

Louis mimicked the pout before chuckling. "I went out to get another surprise for you," Louis smiled devilishly causing the younger lad to roll his eyes in reply.

"What is it this time, Lou?" Harry sighed with a smirk as he dusted off his hands on the apron.

Louis simply grinned and carefully removed his black tank before turning around and revealing the fresh ink covered in saran-wrap on his left shoulder. In cursive writing was the quote: Freedom Rings Where Opinions Clash. Harry gasped, eyes going wide. "Another tattoo?! You just can't stop, can you, babe?"

"Well, I've been thinking about this one for awhile, actually. I wanted something to celebrate coming out publicly," Louis explained, leaving his tank off and turning to face his lover. "It's a powerful quote that symbolizes us as well as my rebellion against Modest! and how I refused to change because they wanted me to."

"Lou, the tattoo is beautiful," Harry murmured, lightly running the pads of his finger tips along the raised flesh, retracting his fingers immediately when Louis flinched. "Your mum is gonna kill you."

"Nah, she's slowly learning to accept that I'm going to be this way; that it's not some phase. This is who I really am."

Harry broke out into an award winning grin and carefully wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck and brought him into a tender kiss. "She's expecting us in an hour, remember? We've got to tell her about the engagement."

Two months after Louis outed the happy couple, One Direction dropped Modest!. Liam, Zayn, and Niall realized that if Louis and Harry were forced to hide their relationship, then they weren't living. One Direction wanted to tour the world without regrets; Carpe Diem, as Liam would always say. With the help of Simon, the boys were signed to a more gay friendly management, one that had signed artists like Adam Lambert and Kelly Clarkson.  
A few short months after that, during their most recent tour in Tokyo, Louis had proposed to Harry, getting down on one knee and performing his own rendition of 'Marry Me' by Train.. It was then that Harry realized how much more relieved and happier he was being able to hold hands in the street or exchange innocent kisses in the middle of a coffee shop. For the first time in five years, the Cheshire lad was content.

"Oh, that's right," Louis hummed against his fiancé's lips. "My mum is going to pass out from excitement. She and Anne are going to start planning the wedding without our consent."

Harry giggled and nodded, catching a glimpse of the black metallic band around his left finger. "As long as I'm Harry Tomlinson soon, the Easter Bunny could plan our wedding." Louis couldn't help but laugh at that and pecked his fiancé's lips. After a moment, Harry sighed, smile gracing his lips. "I could definitely get used to this."

"Get used to what, Hazza?" the rebel smirked. "Being married to a rebellious me?"

"That, and just living life the way it is now. Plus, I wouldn't want you any other way. You're my Louis, the tattooed, pierced, and stubborn man I fell in love with nearly six years ago," the curly brunette confessed, lanky fingers coming up to caress his lover's cheek. "My Louis, the rebellious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I'm accepting new story ideas for anyone who really wants something written! I have three personal Harry/Louis stories in the works but I can always put those on the backburner to fulfill what you lovelies would like! :) So just let me know with a comment below and I'll probably respond immediately (since I'm glued to my phone lol)
> 
> I usually have the story posted a week after I've received the idea unless my crazy schedule won't allow me. I work 3 jobs currently so sometimes I'm pressed for time!:P


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